Field
The disclosed concept pertains generally to load modules and, more particularly, to load buss assemblies for such load modules. The disclosed concept further pertains to methods of manufacturing load buss assemblies.
Background Information
U.S. Pat. No. 8,094,436 discloses a plug-in circuit breaker panel including a housing, an electrical bus structure coupled to the housing, and a number of first plug-in members coupled to the electrical bus structure. A number of circuit breakers include a first surface and a second plug-in member disposed opposite the first surface. The second plug-in member of each of the number of circuit breakers is mated with a corresponding one of the number of first plug-in members. A plate member is removably coupled to the housing. The plate member includes a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface of the number of circuit breakers engages the opposite second surface of the plate member in order to maintain mating of each of the number of circuit breakers with the corresponding one of the number of first plug-in members.
The rear of the plug-in circuit breaker panel includes first and second feeders for a three-phase alternating current (AC) system. Typically, for each of the feeders, there can be a single three-pole AC circuit breaker and a plurality of single pole AC circuit breakers for each of the three phases. For example, each of the feeders is a three-terminal terminal block having three power terminals for the three phases of the corresponding feeder. A first surface of the electrical bus structure is proximate the number of first plug-in members, and the feeders and power terminals thereof are coupled to the opposite second surface along with a number of load connectors. The load connectors include load outputs (e.g., loads) from the corresponding circuit breakers associated with the respective feeders. In a similar manner, the power inputs (e.g., lines) to the corresponding circuit breakers are associated with the respective feeders. The electrical bus structure (e.g., a number of inner power layers thereof) suitably routes the load outputs from and the power inputs to the various circuit breakers.
While the feeders are directly coupled to the electrical bus structure at corresponding terminal blocks and power terminals thereof, the load outputs from the circuit breakers are electrically connected between the electrical bus structure and corresponding load connectors by a number of discrete conductors or ribbon cable. As a result, a manual operation is needed to electrically connect the load outputs between the electrical bus structure and the corresponding load connectors. Also, the load connectors and the discrete conductors or ribbon cable significantly increase the size of the plug-in circuit breaker panel.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in circuit breaker panels.
There is also room for improvement in load buss assemblies of circuit breaker panels.
There is further room for improvement in methods of manufacturing load buss assemblies of circuit breaker panels.